The Jackie Robinson Foundation, which includes the Jackie Robinson Museum —New York City’s first museum dedicated largely to the civil rights movement and the legacies of Jackie Robinson and his widow, Rachel, has received its largest donation, ever. (Photo by Luiz C. Ribeiro for NY Daily News via Getty Images)
NY Daily News via Getty Images
The Jackie Robinson Foundation, which features scholarships and the Jackie Robinson Museum, has received a donation that is being called “transformative” from two sources well-known in the sports world.
Thomas Tull, Co-Chairman of TWG Global and Mark Walter, CEO and Co-Chairman of TWG Global and principal owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, have made a $20 million donation – the largest sum ever donated – to the Jackie Robinson Foundation. The money will be used to provide funding for the scholarship program, as well as the Jackie Robinson Museum, which opened in 2022 at the intersection of the Tribeca and Soho districts in New York City.
Asked what her reaction was to the donation, Della Britton, President and CEO of the Jackie Robinson Foundation, said it was “glee” and “transformational.”
“This donation has been a real boon to us to be able to now invest in the museum – in the programming that we are so excited about that we have been presenting for the last three years – and we’re excited about embellishing and expanding,” Britton said to be in an interview for Forbes, “The nice thing about this gift as well is that it both shores up the scholarship side of our operations.”
“We are immensely grateful for the deep commitment Mark Walter and Thomas Tull have each made to upholding the Robinson legacy,” Britton added. “For over a decade, their vision, engagement, and overwhelming generosity have reflected their resolve to ensure this legacy has a meaningful, lasting impact, and this donation takes that commitment to indelible heights.”
Both Walter and Tull said the investment was believing in the importance of Jackie Robinson’s legacy of courage, inclusion, and breaking barriers. They see sports as being able to contribute to lasting change.
“Team ownership is about more than competition; it’s about developing meaningful, sustained community,” said Mark Walter. “The work of the Foundation and Museum is deeply personal for me, as they ensure that Jackie’s impact as a Dodger, a trailblazer, and an American hero continues to inspire, educate, and engage new generations.”
“Bringing Jackie’s story to life was one of the most meaningful experiences of my career, giving me a profound appreciation for his strength, humility, and the enormous barriers he broke through – not just for baseball but for our country,” said Thomas Tull. “Jackie Robinson changed lives, and the JRF continues his values and legacy to inspire, educate, and advance future generations.”
The foundation has been a continual living legacy. Established by Rachel Robinson, Jackie’s widow, less than a year after his passing in 1973, it provides college scholarships and leadership development programs for high-achieving students with financial need. Britton said that there is an extensive mentoring and leadership development component that goes on year-round and that there have been 242 four-year scholarships. There is now an online component that sees 4,400 students enrolled.
What does Britton hope to see coming out of this donation and the offerings? Getting people out to visit the museum.
“I want people to know that we’re here and that we’re doing a lot of interesting things for all ages,” she said. “We’re doing financial literacy. We’re doing all kinds of interesting programming around sports, from the business of sports to women’s integration to all kinds of controversial issues.
“Rachel Robinson came to us and said, ‘I would love to have a museum for Jackie that tells his whole story.’ Many know of his athletic prowess. Many know of his barrier-breaking baseball career, but she wanted them to know the whole story, what really made him tick.”